Raven's Nightmare
by metforce
Summary: The Tower couples are doing great, so why does Raven feel so out of place? She is especially surprised to find herself missing the attentions of a certain green person. Post Terra return. BBxTer, RobxSF. Reworked 32607
1. Chapter 1

**Raven's Nightmare**

The Tower couples are doing great, so why does Raven feel so out of place? She is especially surprised to find herself missing the attentions of a certain green person. Post Terra return. BBxTer, RobxSF. Reworked 3/26/07

**Chapter 1: The Garden**

Raven wiped the sweat off her brow then pushed her hand shovel into the warm earth. She smiled lightly to herself satisfied with the work she had done. It was nice to get out of the Tower and get her hands dirty. Though she rarely enjoyed physical activity, this digging in the dirt did her spirit good. It kept her mind busy with mundane tasks instead of the unneeded fretting that had consumed her as of late.

The garden was her idea; as strange as it would have sounded months ago it gave her a chance to get some quality time with Beast Boy. In her mind he was spending far too much time with Terra. That strange feeling of jealousy crept into Raven's soul once more. How could they be spending too much time together, they were going out with each other after all, weren't they?

Raven's garden suggestion was a hit with Beast Boy as soon as she suggested it. Terra was thankfully not into it at all, which was strange considering her realm of powers. Cyborg was out because the dirt and water played havoc with his circuitry and Robin just wasn't the gardening type. Starfire was curious but her interest faded pretty quickly. This turn of events suited Raven perfectly.

The Tower was much more crowded since Terra rejoined the group. Not to say things were going bad in Raven's mind, it was just different; the dynamics were off. With Robin and Starfire getting serious and Beast Boy and Terra carrying on Raven felt more and more like a third wheel. She told herself she had no one else to blame but herself. She had after all been instrumental in getting both couples started. Cyborg would always be a close friend but there really weren't any passionate sparks between them; he felt more like a big brother than a lover. Still she was thankful for his company. They were constantly teasing each other about being the king and queen of the Tower's lonely hearts club.

"Special delivery," Cyborg announced.

Raven looked up as a green mule carrying several heavy bags trudged towards their garden plot. Cyborg walked beside Beast Boy to make sure nothing fell off. The green mule stopped and Cyborg pulled each of the heavy sacks off and dropped them onto the ground with a thud.

Beast Boy morphed back into human form and pinched his nose in disgust. "Man what is this stuff? It smells terrible."

Raven looked up and smiled lightly to herself, she was almost to payday. "I told you, it's fertilizer. This soil is pretty bad. If we want anything to grow in it we'll have to amend it. Now open the bags and spread the stuff around."

"Mend?" Beast Boy looked at Raven and gave her a funny smirk; he had no idea what she was talking about.

Cyborg slapped his face in disbelief. "AMEND, you idiot. Raven means that you're making the ground better for your garden!" Cyborg explained.

"Oh," Beast Boy said in slight embarrassment. He grabbed a shovel, quickly slashed one of the bags open and began shoveling its contents out into the garden plot. "Man this stuff really stinks, what did you say this was again?"

Raven looked up with a slight smirk. "Monty's Magical Manure Spread."

Beast Boy halted momentarily absorbing Raven's explanation before looking down in disgust. "Ah great, now I smell like cow crap."

"Actually its horse crap," Raven quickly corrected him. "But who can tell the difference?"

Raven turned to Cyborg who was looking disappointedly at Beast Boy.

"Pay up Cyborg," Raven demanded. "I told you I could get him to do it."

Cyborg pulled out a twenty dollar bill then walked over and handed it to Raven. A broad smile washed across her face. "A pleasure doing business with you," she said to him. She took the bill and held it up for Beast Boy to see.

He shot her a look of mild confusion. "What just happened?"

"Just a side bet. I need to raise money around here somehow," Raven explained.

"That's the last time I bet on you" Cyborg chided him. "Can't you read?"

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy replied in utter confusion.

Robin, Starfire and Terra walked over to see what the others were up to. "Hey guys, how goes the garden project?" Terra inquired.

Raven held up her twenty dollar bill for the others to inspect, "I made twenty bucks today."

"You grew money," Starfire asked with sudden interest.

"No," Cyborg interrupted. "Raven bet me she could get Beast Boy to haul the manure bags up here." He turned and flashed a disappointed look at his friend. "And I bet that he would know better."

Beast Boy shrugged his shoulders and happily worked the rest of the bag's contents into the ground.

"Well, the garden looks pretty good," Robin commented surveying the orderly plots Raven and Beast Boy had produced. "Though I still don't see what's wrong with getting stuff from the store."

"It's not the same," Beast Boy quickly replied. "Besides I actually enjoyed doing it. This will all pay off in a few weeks." Raven smiled hearing that Beast Boy felt so pleased about their garden.

"Anyway, all this lifting and hauling is making me big and strong," Beast Boy continued. He pulled his arms up and began flexing his muscles.

Terra walked over to her boyfriend and caught a whiff of him then waved her hand in disgust. "Oh yea, you're strong all right! Now go take a shower so we can all go out and get some dinner."

"How about a kiss first?" Beast Boy asked as he tried to wrap his arms around Terra in a vain attempt to follow through with his request. Raven frowned momentarily watching the pair wrestle gently with one another. Terra put her hands on Beast Boy's chest and held him at bay.

"Not a chance," she replied. "Hit the showers and I'll make it up to you later." A sly smile washed across her face. Raven felt that all too familiar pang of jealousy hit her as she watched the pair stare into each other's eyes.

"Hey Beast Boy, I've got your share of dinner tonight," Raven said interrupting Beast Boy and Terra's moment together. "And don't say I didn't ever pay you for your services."

"Hey what about me?" Cyborg interjected.

"Sorry," Raven said with a smile. "I only pay people who actually do work for me."

"I'll remember that next time I have to fix something of yours," Cyborg replied. He reached down and pulled Raven to her feet.

The group slowly walked back to the Tower so Raven and Beast Boy could clean up before they all went out for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Bad Dreams**

_Terra's Nightmare:_

Terra rolled over restlessly in her bed consumed by dark shadows. She was running much too slowly through a darkened canyon wash; lost, scared and pursued. The dark pack of snarling fangs was closing in on her. She struggled forward out of breath as her legs began to falter. The loud snarls of her pursuers let her know it would only be a short time before she would be taken down. Coyote chases were a constant recurring nightmare for her.

She cried out in terror as the first member of the pack jumped her from behind. The force of the collision caused her to tumble onto her shoulder and roll along the hard dusty ground. She quickly curled her arms around her head as the rest of the pack descended upon her.

Savage barks filled her ears as she felt powerful jaws clamp down on her arms yanking them from her face. Terra could feel her bones break in the Coyotes' powerful jaw. She looked up in terror as a set of glowing white teeth closed in on her face. Foul steaming breath washed across her face as she drew a deep breath and screamed. Her cry was quickly ended as her pursuers jaws closed around her neck and ripped her throat open.

_Cyborg's Nightmare:_

Cyborg stood silently in his regeneration station. His one eye was closed in deep slumber. His face suddenly flinched as a vision filled his mind. Fluorescent lights covered the ceiling in all directions. Surrounding him were rows and rows of massive computer towers. Tangled masses of wires were strewn between the machines. Their consul lights flashed randomly as they hummed in rhythm.

His friends would never have guessed that Cyborg feared the very gadgets that allowed him to survive his tragic accident. In truth he was always afraid that what was left of his humanity would be consumed by the cold machine parts that connected the leftover pieces of his shattered body. Being surrounded by these machines only made his human part feel more vulnerable.

He began to walk hurriedly though the masses of machines looking for a way out. His heavy footsteps echoed in the sterile room. On his right, one of the rows seemed wider than the others.

"This must be the main route out this place," he tried to reassure himself as his level of panic continued to rise. He broke out into a quick sprint.

The row he chose went on as far as he could see. He stopped short and turned around trying to reorient himself in the maze of computers. That was when he felt something wrap around his leg. Cyborg glanced down and noticed several thick computer cables entangling him. He staggered backwards then fell clumsily onto his back. Other cables quickly snaked across the floor towards him. Cyborg grabbed one in a vain attempt to fend them off. It was too late; several other lines had hooked on to him and accessed his central processor. He felt a cool sensation pass through his body as streams of data began to pass in and out of his systems. Cyborg felt his level of resistance wane. Soon all he could see were precessions of ones and zeros.

_Starfire's Nightmare:_

Starfire hugged her pillow tightly then thrashed in her bed as a dark vision filled her sleeping mind. She was happily walking through the Tower on her way to visit Robin. She cherished these visits since Robin finally acknowledged their relationship. As she rounded the corner she stopped suddenly in her tracks. The door to her partner was strangely closed. Cautiously she stepped towards the door. Two voices cooed softly to one another from the other side.. Starfire pressed her ear to the door.

"Ouch, that hurt," Robin said in an annoyed voice. "Hey, give that back!"

"Oh, Robbie you'll have to get it back yourself," said a familiar teasing voice.

Starfire gasped in horror as she recognized the voice of her sister coming from Robin's room. She grasped the edge of the door and pulled on it as hard as she could. It resisted her efforts at first then quickly gave way and slid to the side.

Starfire staggered into the room. Her sister was straddled over Robin; her long black hair fell across her bare back. Robin lay underneath her with his hands clasped around Blackfire's wrists as they pinning his naked shoulders against the mattress. Robin looked over at Starfire who stood dumbfounded. He then shot her a sly smile.

Blackfire noticed Robin's attention was focused on the doorway. She released her grip on his shoulders and turned to see what had attracted his attention. Robin's mask clung to her face. Blackfire's naked chest heaved as she drew in several quick breaths smiling fiendishly upon being caught.

_Robin's Nightmare:_

Robin rolled over onto his back. A soft snore began to fill the room then stopped as darkness took hold of his slumbering mind. Robin was pursuing Slade once again. The pair made their way gingerly through the darkened trash-filled alley. Robin's gasped as Slade began to increase the distance between them.

"No you don't," Robin said to himself; he bore down and tapped into his reserves pushing himself harder. Slade looked back then swung his hand to his side overturning a metal trash can into Robin's path. Robin tried to vault over this sudden obstacle. He caught his back leg and roughly tumbled to the ground as a large crash echoed through the alley.

Robin skidded hard along the pavement. He quickly looked up and saw Slade duck into a side alley. Robin gingerly pulled himself up as he drew labored breaths. His knees and the palms of his hands stung harshly as speckled drops of blood began to protrude from his raw skin. Robin groaned in frustration then staggered forward.

Slade stood in the darkened alley calmly waiting for his pursuer. Robin entered the alley to face his nemesis. He closed his eyes then doubled over gasping for air.

"Well Robin, I guess we meet again," Slade said in his soft seductively voice. "What's the matter? Can't catch your breath old man?"

Robin remained doubled over desperately trying to fill his aching lungs. He opened his eyes and saw his long gray-streaked hair hanging loosely around his face. He stood up and threw his head back then brushed the hair out of his face. When he looked down he noticed his old outfit had been replaced by his night-wing garb.

"I'll never stop chasing you Slade," Robin gasped as he looked back up into Slade's eye. He cried out and charged throwing a wild roundhouse at his nemesis. Slade easily ducked then kicked the side of Robin's knee causing his opponent to cry out in pain and collapse onto the pavement.

Slade turned to his injured opponent. "You don't get it do you." He glared down in contempt. "Evil will always exist. Suffering will always exist. The strong will always take from the weak." Slade's voice rose to drive home his point. "You'll be a hundred years gone and all these things will still exist! There is nothing you can do about it Robin."

Robin grasped his shattered knee. His breaths were heavy and labored. The hair around his face had turned pure white.

He reached over and grabbed a short piece of metal pipe embedded in the alley debris. "NO!" Robin replied defiantly as he hurled the pipe at his opponent. Slade didn't flinch as the piece flew wildly clanging harmlessly against the brick wall behind him.

Every joint in Robin's body ached. He couldn't move. Slade strode menacingly towards his helpless opponent.

_Beast Boy's Nightmare:_

Beast Boy lay face down on his pillow. His head turned and his arm fell limply over the side of his bed as a bitter vision filled his mind. Sweat poured down his face as he slashed through the jungle undergrowth with his machete. The warm tropical air was nearly unbearable. He looked around trying to recognize any features that would help him find the long forgotten graves of his parents. Their headstone had to be around here somewhere. Beast Boy spotted a gray stone protruding from the wild overgrowth.

He hacked his way towards it then took a few swipes revealing a short obelisk. A few more well placed hacks cleared most of the remaining undergrowth. Beast Boy plunged the machete into the soft jungle soil and cleared the last remaining vines and weeds from the marker with his bare hands.

When he was done Beast Boy stepped back and looked at the naked gray stone that marked his parents' grave. The air was still and sweltering. He stood somberly listening to the soft jungle noises then stepped forward and slowly lowered himself in front of the obelisk. He halted just before he touched it sure some unknown force would thwart him. His hand twitched uncontrollably as he felt something repel him. Beast Boy groaned then shoved his hand out until it finally jabbed forward onto the cold rough stone that marked his parents' grave.

Beast Boy immediately tensed up as a cold current pulsed though his body. He could feel the ground beneath him squirm with a million maggots. Slowly his body began to sink in the writhing mass. He coughed uncontrollably as poisonous vapors of decay bellowed up from the disintegrating ground underneath him. Beast Boy put his hands down trying to push himself away. That was when he felt the cold bony hands of his long dead parents grab onto him. A terrified shriek filled the jungle air.

_Raven's Dream:_

Raven gasped suddenly in her sleep as a dark shadow crept into her mind. She was having another one of her cursed dreams; she hated dreams. They were always dark and frightening. This one was no exception.

She was a child again in a dark world running from her father. Raven felt the ground beneath her shake as a demonic laugh rumbled across the sky. The icy grip of fear crept over her body as she turned to face her father. He rode towards her on a gray horse with flaming eyes and burning hooves. She watched unable to move as the pair galloped towards her.

The galloping steed slowed in Raven's mind. She watched helplessly as her father closed in on her. Each step the gray stallion took echoed harshly in Raven's mind. The pair would be on her shortly.

Raven then felt something imperceptible flutter lightly by her face. She caught the faint smell of paint as the presence passed her. A thin beam of light suddenly erupted from behind her and shown past her shoulder focusing on her charging father and his unholy steed. Both screamed in agony as the light began to dissolve them. As her father's shadow disintegrated Raven though she saw a pair of cold yellow eyes staring at her.

The light was soon overwhelming. Raven watched as it drove the dark shadows, her father and his mount from her vision. A familiar voice rose up behind her singing a favorite song from her childhood.

"Mother?" Raven's small voice called out as she turned around.

There in the light was the familiar hooded figure of her mother, her arms held open wide and her sweet voice echoing across the horizon.

Raven's eyes filled with tears as she ran forward towards her mother's outstretched arms. In a moment she was consumed by her mother's warm embrace. She buried her head in her bosom. All the familiar smells and warmth came back to her from so long ago as her mother's song washed over Raven driving the last remnants of fear from her.

In the quiet darkness of her room, Raven lay curled in the fetal position on her bed. A sweet smile crossed her face as she let out a light sigh of relief.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Morning Coffee**

The tea kettle whistled loudly announcing to Raven the water for her tea was ready. She quickly ran to the stove, cranked the gas pilot off and pulled the pot off the stove. The whistling kettle relented as light wafts of steam billowed out. Raven pinched the knob open and carefully poured the hot water into her tea strainer. She lifted the strainer up and placed her tea cup underneath then watched the water slowly change to amber and filter down into her cup. Unconsciously she began to hum the tune her mother sang to her in her dream.

"Well I'm glad one of us is in a good mood this morning," Cyborg chimed in from behind her.

Raven turned and saw Cyborg slumped at the table with his head on his hand for support. His one eye was extremely blood-shot and dark circles were etched underneath it. He looked absolutely horrible.

"You look awful," she commented. "Are you sick?"

"Naw," Cyborg replied wearily. "I couldn't sleep last night; had a whole mess of weird dreams. Maybe it was something I ate last night. How about you?"

Raven thought for a moment but couldn't really remember anything unusual about sleeping last night. She did wake up with a faint recollection of one of her dreams but the exact content had escaped her in the twilight period of consciousness most people have before they're fully awake.

"I don't think so," she replied. "How about some coffee?"

"Thanks," Cyborg roughly said. "You're a sweetie."

Raven filled the coffee maker and started the machine. The bitter aroma of coffee soon filled the kitchen.

"A little warning for you," Cyborg spoke up. "Both couples are on the war path this morning. I heard BB and Terra really going at it earlier."

"How about Robin and Starfire?"

"They're not talking."

"Then they're not fighting, right?"

"No, they're NOT talking to each other, at all," Cyborg emphasized the not to indicate there was something wrong.

The coffee was done and Raven pulled out a mug for her friend. She paused then found one of the larger coffee cups and filled it nearly to the top. She brought it over to the table and gently placed it in front of her friend being careful not to spill any of its precious contents.

"Cream or sugar?" Raven asked.

Cyborg cradled the over-sized cup with both hands and slowly raised it to his mouth. "Not this morning thanks." He briefly blew across the top of his cup then slowly tilted it to spill its contents into his awaiting mouth. He closed his eye and savored his relief.

"That's exactly what I needed," Cyborg announced in a relieved voice.

Robin staggered into the kitchen and dragged out a chair then wearily slumped down into it. He clasped his head with both hands, closed his eyes and groaned lightly.

Raven quickly poured another cup of coffee, walked over to the table and placed it in front of Robin.

Robin opened his blood shot eyes looked down and lowered his one hand to grasp the steaming cup of rejuvenation. He raised it to his mouth and took a quick slurp. "You're a life saver Raven, thanks."

"Rough night?" she asked him.

"Yea, I slept horribly. Starfire is locked up in her room. She wouldn't come out when I knocked on her door," Robin said in an annoyed voice. "I'd like to know what bug crawled up her ass this morning."

"Easy Robin," Cyborg gently corrected him. "Don't get that girl pissed. She's likely to tear down half of the tower if you do."

Robin grunted then took another long swig of coffee.

Beast Boy strode angrily into the room yanked a chair out and roughly deposited himself into it. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at the table.

Cyborg looked over to their new arrival. "Let me guess, you didn't sleep well last night."

"That's only half of my problems," Beast Boy curtly replied.

"How about some coffee?" Raven quickly suggested.

Beast Boy looked over and nodded in approval. "I don't know what's up with Terra. Is it that time of month again?"

Cyborg looked behind his friend and froze in horror. Terra was standing right behind him and had caught every bit of Beast Boy's bitter comment. She placed her hands to her hips as her blood shot eyes narrowed in anger.

"Why don't you turn around and say that to my face you little shit," she said in a strained voice.

Beast Boy's head sunk as he drew in a deep breath bracing himself for the worst. Cyborg looked over to Raven seeking some way to rescue his friend from this perilous situation.

Raven quickly poured some coffee into a plastic travel cup and pressed the lid closed. She grabbed a small cloth napkin to insulate her hand from the steaming liquid.

"Hey Beast Boy, I've got your coffee," Raven interrupted. "Why don't we go outside for a bit?"

"Yea," Cyborg added. "Let me get you some coffee Terra. Take a seat."

Beast Boy stood up without making eye contact with Terra. Terra watched him leave the table then took his seat and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

Beast Boy passed by Raven and headed for the door without taking the travel mug she had prepared. She looked at Cyborg who nodded his head encouraging her to follow him. Raven understood his unannounced message; they would try and separate the two antagonists and talk them down. She grabbed her tea and followed Beast Boy out of the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: A Morning Walk**

Beast Boy and Raven stood outside in the cool morning air. Steam rose gently from their cups and dissolved in the soft morning breeze. Waves broke dully against the island's rocky shore as the morning sun rose quickly above the hazy city skyline.

Beast Boy took a deep breath of salty air then raised his mug and slurped his coffee. He smiled in relief then let the pent up air rush out of his lungs. Raven watched and noticed some of the tension thankfully exit him.

"Thanks for the coffee Raven. And for getting me out of there before it got ugly," Beast Boy said to her.

Raven smiled thankful that she had provided him with some relief. The pair began to slowly walk away from the Tower contentedly absorbing the scene in front of them. Raven's heart raced in her chest as she savored every second of their time together. It was not often they shared moments like this. She missed Beast Boy's once annoying attention.

"Rough night?" she gently questioned him.

Beast Boy raised his cup and took another long slurp of coffee. "This is really good Raven. I thought you were only into tea but you make a fair cup of Jove, you know that?" Raven felt herself blush hearing his complement. Beast Boy paused then looked down trying to brace himself.

"I dreamt I went back to visit my parents' graves," Beast Boy dully announced. He hadn't discussed this topic openly since their confrontation with Gregory the necromancer. It was still something he hadn't fully faced. The emergence of Terra had distracted him; his whole life had been a distraction, an excuse not to confront the pain the death of his parents had caused. It was much easier to be a jokester than to confront the bitter reality that faced him.

Raven stepped towards Beast Boy and gently ran her hand across his back. She wished so much to hold him in her arms and comfort him. How long had she done that at the city's cemetery gates? Perhaps that was when her feelings for him fully came to her.

"I know something that will cheer you up," she gently prodded him. "Let's go take a look at our garden."

Beast Boy looked up and smiled lightly at his companion. Raven felt her heart melt. Both of them turned and slowly walked around the tower to the small plot they had been tending. They were both silent as they made their way around the island lost in their own thoughts. When they arrived at their garden plot both of them froze in horror.

The orderly plots had been turned to chaos. Plants and vines had been pulled up and strewn everywhere. Raven's heart sank; all of their work had been ruined. She turned to Beast Boy knowing he would be absolutely devastated.

Beast Boy cautiously stepped forward and surveyed the damage. He angrily scuffed his foot through the ground launching several green tomatoes into the air. "God damn it!" he growled in frustration. He raised his hand and massaged the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"It's OK we can try and salvage some of this," Raven offered.

"There's nothing left to salvage," he said bitterly. "Damn gophers."

Raven doubted that possibility. She walked along the garden's edge looking for clues as to what creature was responsible for this. Beast Boy stood in the middle of the garden and continued to sulk.

Raven halted as she spied something black in the dirt; it was in the shape of a horse shoe. She bent down to inspect it more closely. The print was burned into the ground. She ran her finger along the print and raised it to her nose. A sickening smell of sulfur filled her nose. She quickly lowered her finger and frowned; only a Nightmare could leave a mark like that and there was only one person she knew who had rode one onto the island.

"Morpheus," she lightly whispered to herself in disgust. Raven was sure the young immortal had returned to exact his revenge. But why would he destroy their garden? She stood up and looked over towards Beast Boy. He remained in the center of the garden. Raven stood up and quickly ran her foot over the hoof print destroying the evidence.

Beast Boy unexpectantly shouted in rage. Raven jumped at his sudden outburst and saw him slam his mug into the ground. The contents splashed out upon impact spraying Beast Boy's legs with scalding liquid. He jumped up in pain. "Ahh shit!" he cried out in anger then stomped on the offending mug crushing it into useless pieces of plastic. He stormed out of the garden then stopped and took a deep breath.

He turned around and looked at Raven who stood silently watching him. "I'm sorry," he paused and took another breath trying to settle himself down. "It's just that we worked so hard on this."

Raven carefully made her way back to the spot Beast Boy had vacated then bent over and began picking up the broken pieces of his mug. Beast Boy walked back then bent over to help Raven clean up his mess.

"We'll try and salvage what we can," she said to him. "It'll be all right. We'll get something out of this if we work together."

Best Boy sighed and looked around at the tangled remains of their garden. He looked at her and smiled. Raven looked up sensing her friend was staring at her. "Since when did you become the positive thinker around here?" Raven returned his smile then looked down to make sure she had picked up all of the pieces of Beast Boy's shattered mug.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Gardening at Night**

Raven sat curled up underneath her cape. The cool ocean air blew across the island bringing with it the first tendrils of evening fog. She was determined to wait all night if she had to in order to confront Morpheus. She and Beast Boy had spent most of the afternoon salvaging what they could. He had insisted on waiting with her but thankfully he passed out on the couch before the sun set. Most of the others collapsed soon afterwards. She hoped they would all get a better night's sleep tonight. That would of course all depend on if she could successfully confront Morpheus.

Raven still couldn't figure out why the immortal had chosen this act of revenge. It had been months since she had last seen him. He always seemed to pop up when she least expected but his actions this time seemed much more malicious than their previous encounters.

She began to doze off in the cool night air entering the twilight of consciousness before one becomes fully engulfed in deep sleep. The previous night's soft melody gently returned to her.

A cold gust of wind blew across Raven's face stirring her from her brief slumber. She was totally disoriented as a flash of light suddenly filled her eyes. The waves were striking the island harder now stirred up by the developing storm. A dull rumbling of thunder washed across the sky. Raven could feel the rain-cooled air hit her face.

She slowly stood up then started to make her way back to the Tower intending to get inside before the rain started. Another flash went off giving her a brief glimpse of her surroundings before totally blinding her. Raven nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of the large horse standing on the other side of the garden. Her fear was quickly compounded by the sudden crash of thunder. She backed up cautiously waiting for her eyes to readjust to the darkness.

Another gust of wind hit her face as the first drops of rain fell from the gathering storm. Raven heard a soft grunt before spying a pair of glaring red eyes approach. Her heart rate quickened as the rain intensity increased. She raised her hand creating a shield to keep the coming deluge off her.

Several violent flashes of lightning shot across the night sky forming a spider-web of blue light overhead. The unholy stallion reared up directly up in front of her whinnying loudly and shaking its head in protest. Raven jumped back fearing the beast would charge her. The last stroke of lightning revealed no rider. A loud crack of thunder shook the island. The storm's savage winds whipped the sea into a frenzy as waves began crashing loudly against the shore.

Raven lowered her hand bringing down her shield then held both her hands in front of her in a vain attempt to hold the beast back. The driving rain instantly drenched her. Another brief flash of lightning followed allowing Raven to locate the intruder. Thunder followed but this time it was much more subdued.

Raven waited in the rain as her eyes readjusted to the darkness. She spied the Nightmare's glowing red eyes in front of her. What this monster was doing here alone was beyond her recollection. Nightmares were malign inhabitants of the lowest regions of hell serving as mounts for only the most powerful demons or night hags, assisting them in their evil doings; tormenting only the most deserving souls who were condemned to spend eternity in fire.

Raven could feel cold waves of fear radiating from this beast. The Nightmare's frightening glare, however, did not appear to affect her; unusual since most mortals would not be able to stand up to this demon. She watched the stallion shift its weight nervously as its hooves sank into the garden's soft mud. Raven raised her hand and took a small step forward attempting to make contact with the beast. The Nightmare suddenly shook its head as it exhaled loudly and stomped its front hoof threateningly. A puff of steam erupted from the stallion's nostrils and burst forward filling Ravens lungs with a sickly smell of sulfur. Staggering backwards away from the stench Raven quickly covered her nose and mouth with her cape seeking some shelter from the creatures wicked breath.

"I'm getting tired of this," Raven called out in exasperation through the driving rain once she had caught her breath. "If you don't make up your mind what you want I'm going to chase you back to the gates of hell where you belong."

Raven gasped then stepped back as the Nightmare whinnied loudly in protest. Lightning went off overhead and a loud crack of thunder filled the sky as the rain began to fall in torrents.

"OK, maybe violence isn't what's called for in this situation," Raven said softly to herself in frustration. The creature was clearly agitated, but what could she do to comfort it?

Both Raven and the Nightmare stood for a long moment neither knowing what the other's intentions were. Another flash of lightning went off followed by a far off rumbling of thunder as the rain began to slacken. Raven's dream suddenly rushed back to her. The calming song her mother sang played in her head as she stood in the rain facing the Nightmare's glaring red eyes.

A sudden inspiration came to her. Raven tentatively hummed the tune her mother sang in her dream. The beast whinnied lightly as the rain intensity dropped slightly. She could feel some of the beast's tension filter away. Confident now that this was the right course of action Raven closed her eyes and raised her voice singing her mother's reassuring melody.

Raven felt a calm euphoria fill her heart as she continued to sing. Singing was one of those activities she would only do in complete secrecy. In it she found release and strength. She lowered her head then took a deep breath after the last verse fell from her lips.

Raven felt the tension in her soul tighten as she heard soft footsteps approach her. She kept her eyes closed and reluctantly held her ground. In the next moment she could feel the creature's warm breath across her face. With eyes shut she slowly reached out her hand not wanting to startle it. She then felt the Nightmare's rain slickened coat cross her fingertips as it grunted lightly in approval. Raven slowly opened her eyes as her heart raced in her chest. Tentatively she stepped forward and ran her hand gently along the Nightmare's cheek then down its long neck. This creature's coat was a pale gray, not the jet black she remembered when she last visited Hades with Morpheus. Its burning red eyes focused on her.

"Why are you here?" Raven whispered softly in the rain.

"I am _Sol Palus_ (Pale Sun) and I serve you," replied the creature

Raven was startled by the creature's unexpected response. Its voice was even and determined.

"What?" Raven stammered.

"I serve you," resonated in her head once again. The creature's voice came to her telepathically.

The Nightmare grunted then lowered itself down into the muddy garden. Raven looked reluctantly at the creature as it lay in front of her. The storm was now blowing through the city and rising into the hills beyond. She remembered what happened the last time she rode Morpheus' Nightmare. Could she chance that near calamity again? Raven didn't feel like tempting fate . The Nightmare looked back and grunted softly encouraging Raven to climb onto its back.

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

The Nightmare curled its neck down, laid its head in the mud then closed its glowing red eyes in a submissive posture. "I serve you," echoed in her mind one again.

Raven sighed then reluctantly climbed onto the Nightmare's back as instructed. A telepathic connection was instantly established between herself and the creature. Raven felt a sudden surge of darkness course through her soul. Her breathing picked up as she fought the sudden urge to drive forth and subjugate the world to her will.

"Relax, find your center, focus," she pleaded with herself. Slowly she regained control of her emotions. The beast's dark powers finally healed under her will. In that moment Raven felt invincible. She opened her eyes as her confidence surged. "Rise," she commanded.

Slowly the Nightmare raised itself up from the muddy ground. Its eye's opened shedding a silver light in darkness.

Raven grasped tightly onto the creature's mane and squeezed her legs together to keep herself from falling. She relaxed her grip once the Nightmare got its legs under itself. The stallion exhaled heavily awaiting the command of its new master.

"First thing," Raven instructed, "stay out of our garden." The creature slowly backed out of the plot Beast Boy and her had tended. Raven looked up and realized the creature's presence was probably causing her friend's nightmares.

"We need to get you off this island," Raven announced. The creature began to slowly walk to the water's edge. It stopped along the island's rocky shore and looked out over the choppy sea. The waves washed along the stallion's feet creating hissing wisps of steam.

"Come on, let's go," Raven kicked her heals back into the Nightmare's ribs encouraging it to move forward. The creature stepped backwards and shook its head in protest.

Raven reached down and gently stroked _Sol Palus'_ long neck in reassurance. She firmly gripped the creature's mane with her left hand and raised her right. "Trust me," she said in a firm voice. The creature whinnied loudly then pushed itself forward with its powerful back legs. Raven's eyes burned white as her powers lifted her and her new companion over the choppy waters surrounding the island.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Morpheus**

Raven stood on a high bluff next to _Sol Palus_ shivering as the cool night air blew across her drenched body. She pressed herself against the creature's body trying to get warm. The half moon was slowly sinking into the black waters that stretched out before her. The storm had quickly cleared out replaced by a million twinkling stars overhead.

Another breeze caused her teeth to chatter violently as she wrapped her arms across her chest. Raven closed her eyes trying to will herself warm and regain control over her shivering body.

"What is it with you and standing out in the rain?" Morpheus' familiar voice called out from behind her. Raven opened her eyes and saw the immortal walking towards her. _Sol Palus_ grunted and stomped his hoof positioning himself between his master and the approaching god of dreams. Raven reached out and stroked his neck in reassurance.

Morpheus held a large towel up between his two hands. Raven eagerly stepped around _Sol Palus_ and approached the immortal then turned around allowing Morpheus to gently wrap it around her shivering body. Raven lowered her head and pulled the towel tightly around herself.

The god of dreams smiled in the pale moonlight. Raven could see the faint outline of his goateed face. He was dressed in a dark leather jacket with matching jeans and boots.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to go outside with a wet head? Dry your hair off; you'll feel warmer." Raven smiled slightly at Morpheus' chiding. She took the end of the towel and pressed it to her face then started to scrub her hair dry.

"I don't want to hear any bad hair jokes from you," she lightly scolded him.

"Wouldn't think of it," he replied.

He took a couple of steps towards the Nightmare. It stomped its feet in disapproval halting him in his tracks. Morpheus hated these infernal beasts. They would never threaten his father like this. He, on the other hand, was only a minor deity; master of the small goings on in mortal's sleeping minds. He looked over at Raven. She smiled at him as he suffered the indignity of being driven off by a minor demon.

"Not one of my Dad's best, but he seems to have taken a liking to you." Morpheus said as he raised his hand and began to stroke his chin.

"Yea," Raven tilted her head as she continued to work the towel through her hair. "He ruined our garden and kept the others up with nightmares."

"They'll do that if you're not careful," Morpheus said matter of factly. He studied Raven's response trying to see if she had figured out that it was he who had interrupted her dark visions. There were times when he would splash his dream paints to relieve a mortal's dark visions. Though in this case had to be careful with Raven for she was a hero; her destiny could not be altered in any way.

"Sol Pa-," Raven started to say her steed's name.

Morpheus quickly cut her off. "Don't ever speak its name out loud," he firmly corrected her. "You of all people should know that."

Raven looked back at the creature. Morpheus was right; never mention a demon's name out loud unless you want trouble. She walked back to her Nightmare and gently rubbed her hand along its bristly coat. _Sol Palus_ craned its head back as its silvery eyes glowed in the dark. For the moment he remained under her control.

"Why did he choose me?" Raven asked Morpheus.

"He must have seen you when you were in Hades. I guess he couldn't resist someone as cute as you." He forced himself to smile knowing Raven was beginning her journey into darkness.

Raven looked back at the creature trying to hide her embarrassment at the immortal's statement. She rarely got any comments on her appearance.

A light tune thankfully interrupted their conversation. Morpheus fumbled for his phone. He extracted it from his jacket and flipped it open. "Hey Mom…yea I found her…yea it's here with her…. they seem to be all right….sure." Morpheus looked up. "My Mom says hi." Raven nodded as she continued to stroke her Nightmare's neck. "OK, tell Dad I'll be home soon, bye." Morpheus closed his phone and jammed it back into his jacket. Raven began to laugh lightly.

"Can't get used to that, huh?" Morpheus smirked.

"Sorry, I'll always find it amusing," she countered. "Does the all powerful Hades want his son home?" she chided him.

"Yea," Morpheus folded his arms across his chest and turned to survey the scene that lay before him. He refused to rush home as his father instructed.

"Why doesn't your Dad have his own phone," Raven asked. "I'd think the god of the underworld would need one?"

"Oh he had one," Morpheus answered. "He hated it; got over three thousand messages the first hour it was on."

"Three thousand?" Raven shook her head in disbelief.

"Yea," Morpheus continued with a devious smile. "It was a real pain in the ass to get that many into his inbox without him figuring out it was me."

Raven tried to stifle her laughter at the immortal's unusual prank. "You jammed up your father's phone with three thousand messages?"

"Would you want your Dad to be able to contact you any minute of the day?" Morpheus calmly explained. "My Dad's a notorious micromanager. You know I hate having someone constantly watching over me. It's just easier to deal with my Mom."

Raven nodded her head in agreement. Morpheus turned his head back towards the sea. He wondered to himself how Raven would handle her next ordeal. Divination and prophecy had revealed her coming battle against her own shadow and the vision that would haunt her and determine her future. But he could not tell her, she would have to overcome this ordeal herself.

"Morpheus?" Raven said in slight frustration.

Morpheus turned towards her as Raven fluffed the last bit of dampness from her hair. The soft moonlight reflected off her dark probing eyes. He wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she was.

"Sorry I must have dozed off for a spell," he lamely replied.

"The god of dreams with his head in the clouds; who'd of thought." Raven lightly chided him.

Morpheus laughed off her snide comment. "I'm in no hurry tonight." He turned back to stare out over the placid ocean. Raven smiled then turned to soak in the scene that stretched out before them as she gently stroked _Sol Palus'_ neck.


End file.
